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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26642761">For My Sake</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaruSasuNaruLover/pseuds/NaruSasuNaruLover'>NaruSasuNaruLover</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Internal Conflict, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Mental Health Issues, Protective Uzumaki Naruto, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:06:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>18,444</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26642761</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaruSasuNaruLover/pseuds/NaruSasuNaruLover</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sasuke's life is at a crossroads: does he take a chance and follow his dream or does he do as he's told? For years he thought he knew his path, but that was before Naruto walked into his life and made him question everything. As his home life spirals he's forced to make a choice.</p>
<p>If you are triggered by drug abuse and how people can act under the influence this story is not for you.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Stuck</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Each chapter will have a corresponding song. This chapter is Stuck by Adelitas Way</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At seventeen Sasuke thought he could rule the world if he wanted, that’s how many teenagers think the world works. It’s the young hope that seems to slowly dwindle as people get older, crushing dreams and causing people to settle for less. Everyone has their reasons when they decide not to follow their dreams, for Sasuke it was his brother.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke wasn’t the most optimistic person nor was he completely delusional, but he wanted to try to follow his dream. Everyone that knew him knew that he was talented when it came to anything musical. He could sing, write and play just about any instrument that was put in front of him. He wanted to put together a band and at least try to make it in the music industry but his brother quickly squashed that dream.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Do know how few of people actually make it in the music industry?” his older brother, Itachi, asked him with a skeptical look. He was leaning against their kitchen counter with his arms crossed as they argued. “I know that with YouTube and Instagram everyone thinks that they’ll magically be able to make it big, but that’s not how the world works,” he told him. It wasn’t that he had never been supportive of his younger brother, in fact, before their parents deaths Itachi had been Sasuke’s biggest supporter and encouraged him to follow his dreams.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Something changed in Itachi when their parents died and he had to take on being Sasuke’s guardian. He was only eighteen-years-old and barely an adult, yet he had to take on the responsibility of a twelve-year-old. He had claimed he was ready and being the only family the young Uchiha had left, the Court agreed to appoint him Sasuke’s guardian. Itachi was able to put on a good façade of being stable when it came to the annual report to the Court to confirm he was still an appropriate guardian for his younger brother and Sasuke would never dare argue otherwise. The truth was, he wasn’t really ready for the responsibility, so when things got hard he self medicated. It started off small, only using marijuana occasionally, but it got worse as the years continued. “I know you’re talented, but there are a lot of talented people out there. Talent doesn’t mean that you’re going to make it,” he said, the look on his face completely void of emotion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke was fine with Itachi when he only used marijuana. All the marijuana did was calm him down; it didn’t make his whole personality change. Itachi changed when he started doing the hard drugs that his dealer pushed, convincing him that they would make him feel even better. “At least let me try,” Sasuke argued. Music was his passion and once upon a time Itachi knew that and accepted it. “Please,” he pleaded but Itachi didn’t change his stance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sasuke you have a duty to the family. You’re already gay do you need to disappoint the family more by not being part of the business too?” his brother’s words stung and it broke Sasuke’s heart. He knew that Itachi didn’t mean it, or at least that was what he told himself. It was the drugs. He saw his brother slipping away from him and he couldn’t let it happen. Itachi was the only family he had left and he couldn’t alienate him, at least that’s how he felt. Instead of arguing, Sasuke just nodded and accepted Itachi’s words. It killed him a little but he accepted his fate to be part of running the Uchiha Corporation. “Good,” Itachi said, “you’ll finish high school and go to college for business. I expect this is the last time we’ll have this conversation.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>From that moment on music was just a hobby, nothing more. School would be his true focus. He still wrote his songs and played his guitar but his brother would never know about it. There was no further discussion about music; the only question about his future was where he would go for college.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Five years later at the age of twenty-two Sasuke was studying for his finals for college. It was the week before exam week and he had been buried in books, tuning out the rest of the world to focus solely on his studies. After the following week he’d be done with college and would finally be ready to fulfill his duty to his family. He’d taken as many classes necessary to finish college in the four years. It had already been decided for him that he would be working on his Masters while he worked in the company. His grades along with multiple recommendations from professors guaranteed that he’d be admitted into the Masters Program.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was pulled from his studies when the door opened. He looked up from his spot at the kitchen table to see Itachi walk in. He could see the signs that the other man had just finished a drug deal and was already high. He acted as if Sasuke was dumb and didn’t realize what was going on as he hid the drugs in his back pocket. Itachi was what they called a functioning addict but he was progressively getting unstable as the years went by, which is why Sasuke had hurried through school.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke was never able to have the typical college experience; instead he studied and tried to cover for his brother when people from the company looked for him and he clearly wasn’t in shape to talk to anyone. “Hey,” Sasuke said, not making eye contact with his brother. Itachi barely acknowledged him before leaving the room. Sasuke could feel pieces of him being chipped away every year as his brother slipped further into addiction and further away from the man he once knew. “Good talking to you too,” he mumbled to himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Seeing his brother was always difficult for Sasuke. At that point he knew that wouldn’t be able concentrate anymore on his schoolwork. Sasuke shut the book and got up from the table as text his best friend, Suigetsu, ‘<em>You care if I come over?</em> ‘He already knew the answer would be yes so he grabbed his jacket and keys and headed for the garage.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>‘<em>Itachi?’  </em>Suigetsu responded a moment later.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>‘What else would it be?’</em> He text him back before getting into his car.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>‘<em>I’ll be home in five, meet me there,’ </em>Suigetsu was the one person Sasuke could always rely on ever since they were kids. He knew about Itachi’s drug problem, but was sworn to secrecy. When they were younger he understood that if anyone found out about the addiction then Sasuke would be taken away from him with his future uncertain. Now that they were adults he kept quiet because of the potential repercussions to Sasuke’s family business if Itachi was removed from the company.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Sasuke pulled up to Suigetsu’s house he put his car in park and just sat there for a moment. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he rested his head against the headrest, trying to clear his thoughts. A knock on his window startled him and made him to jump a little. He looked out his window to see Suigetsu standing on the other side of his car. Sasuke shut his car off and opened the door, “You’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days doing that.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shut up, you’re used to it now,” Suigetsu replied. “Grab your guitar and come in,” he practically demanded as he signaled for him to follow him. Sasuke was annoyed but he wasn’t in the mood for an argument. They both knew his brother didn’t like him playing the guitar or doing anything that had to do with music so he kept it in the trunk of his car. He popped the trunk and grabbed his guitar, not bothering to ask why it a necessary he brought it in the house.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You still have that punching bag?” Sasuke asked as he walked into the house, directly into the kitchen. He needed to get aggression out in some form and he couldn’t fight his brother, a punching bag was the next best thing. “I could really use it right now,” he told him as he set his guitar on the kitchen counter. Sasuke took off his jacket and tossed it over one of the chairs, “You got any beer?” He wasn’t much of a drinker but it had been a long week and he wanted something to take off the edge. Rather than waiting for a response, he opened the fridge and helped himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Please, help yourself,” the other man said as he rolled his eyes. He didn’t know why Sasuke bothered to ask him for permission at that point it wasn’t as if he ever waited for an answer. His house was practically Sasuke’s second home, the place he went when he needed to get away from Itachi for a while. “I’m glad you’re here actually,” Suigetsu smiled. Sasuke gave him a look of annoyance, not in the mood to do any favors. “Don’t give me that look. There’s a band that’s looking for a new lead singer.” Before Sasuke could go into his whole well rehearsed rant as to why he couldn’t do music, Suigetsu cut him off, “It is a great opportunity for you. Don’t say you can’t because of your brother because he clearly doesn’t give a shit anymore.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We’ve already had this conversation a million times,” Sasuke groaned as he took a sip from his beer. He looked at the clock and it read 3 o’clock, which made him feel a little better about drinking. It was late enough that it was acceptable for him to already drink on a Friday, even if it were the Friday before exam week. “I can’t,” he told him sadly. “Itachi is,” he started before having to take a deep breath and run his hands through his hair. “He’s not right anymore and someone needs to run the company. I can’t do the band thing, especially not now,” he frowned, clearly not happy with his own explanation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fine at least do me one favor then,” Suigetsu requested and Sasuke just looked at him, still annoyed. “I’m going to audition so can you at least play the guitar for me and let me use one of your songs?” he asked. Sasuke was ready to protest the idea but Suigetsu pleaded, “Please. You know I’d do it for you if you weren’t being a stubborn asshole and passing up a perfect opportunity.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke wasn’t happy about it but he just sighed knowing that Suigetsu was right, “Fine.” Suigetsu gave him a smile that made him regret his decision; he had a devious look on his face that made him a little uncomfortable and very suspicious. They both knew Suigetsu wasn’t the best signer but he also knew how bad the other man wanted to be part of a band so he figured that he was just trying to do it however he could. “But aren’t you more of a drummer?” he asked skeptically. Suigetsu just shrugged and Sasuke was certain that the other man was up to something. “What day and time?” he asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He extremely suspicious of the entire situation, but he’d already agreed so he let Suigetsu tell him all of the details, including which song he wanted to use. It was one of Sasuke’s favorites that he’d written and Suigetsu knew it. Sasuke’s mind was spinning, running through all of the scenarios as he tried to figure out what Suigetsu was planning.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke bit his lip as looked at his guitar, feeling a rush of disappointment. Sasuke shook his head, not allowing himself to think about it any further. He grabbed before sitting down with it in his lap. “Well might as well let you practice the song,” he said, knowing the man knew the lyrics as he started to play, wishing he were playing for an entirely different reason. If there was one thing that distracted him from everything else it was music.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>NS</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Naruto sat in their rehearsal space, which was technically just his friend’s garage, with his arms crossed and a small pout on his face. He knew he was being stubborn but that wasn’t the point. The point was that they did not need a new lead singer. Naruto knew his singing voice wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough. People came to their shows and to him that was all that mattered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The blond wouldn’t look at the rest of his band mates, who at that point were getting extremely upset and annoyed with him. “I just don’t understand why we can’t leave things the way they are now,” he argued, knowing he sounded like a child. “We’re booking shows and have fans, isn’t that all that matters?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They were just a small garage band and hadn’t been out on tour, which he knew was ultimately the main goal. Their goal when they started the band was to make it big and when they were teenagers they thought that they were good enough. However, once they became adults and all they’d ever played were small gigs around town most of them were thinking it was out of reach.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His best friend Kiba just sighed and said, “Dude, is this what you want to do the rest of your life or do you want to get a real job?” He knew the answer, there was no way Naruto wanted a real job. The band was his life. When he didn’t answer the other man said, “If you want to make it big we need a new singer and probably a better song writer.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So what now you’re just completely replacing me?” Naruto got up and started pacing the small room. “I do the singing and the writing and lead guitar,” he exclaimed, “ that’s how it’s always been and that’s how it should be.” None of his band mates looked convinced. They thought that he was being unreasonable and they were right, he knew it but he also knew that they had a good chemistry. The band didn’t have any big fights or threaten to break up, “A new member could change everything. What if he or she or whatever you want to find starts to break us apart?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Stop being paranoid. This is our band and if they’re causing trouble then they don’t need to be in it,” Kiba said. Kiba wasn’t usually the voice of reason. He and Naruto were usually backing each other up on everything and they all knew that if they were arguing then one of them was doing something wrong. “Face it dude, if you want to make it big we have to change something,” he told his best friend.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They were a small band called “The Ninjas” which when they formed in high school they thought was an awesome name. Naruto was the singer and lead guitar; he was the face of the band and enjoyed the spotlight immensely.  Kiba was the bassist, he didn’t get as many looks from the girls as Naruto did, but he was still good looking and popular enough. The last member of the band was Neji, he was the drummer of the band and the levelheaded one that kept them in line and balanced them out. He made sure they booked gigs and got there on time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally Neji chimed in, “I booked auditions.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You what?” the other two asked in unison. “For when?” Kiba asked, knowing he shouldn’t be surprised that the other man took the initiative. “Why?” Naruto asked at the same time, “How could you do that without even talking to us first?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Neji was calm and didn’t get to their level of excitement, “I booked them for Saturday at three.” He turned his attention to Naruto, “Just accept it, we need someone else to come in and I knew there would just be a fight about it. I was just going to have you guys come over and surprise you.” He shrugged it off as if it was nothing but the other two men were justifiably angry. “Look guys if we don’t find anyone we like then we’ll find a different way to get our name out there,” Neji flipped his long brown hair over his shoulder and got up, ending the conversation with no room for argument.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Naruto looked at Kiba for support but the other man just shrugged and accepted the fact that in a few days they’d be holding auditions. “Fine,” Naruto mumbled, “but I’m not happy about it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He once again sat down and grabbed his guitar. Writing was one way he cleared his mind so he just started randomly playing until he found a tune he liked. He had trouble concentrating; all he could think about what someone new joining the band and it upset him more than it should. Naruto knew that he had to accept it, though a big part of him hoped they didn’t find anyone that they all liked. Part of him was considering just saying no to everyone so nothing would change. He usually liked new people but when it came to the band the only kind of change he wanted was for a bigger venue to play in and more fans.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>TBC…</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Fix Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Song: Fix Me by 10 Years - I suggest listening to the acoustic version</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Naruto tapped his foot, partially from being impatient and partially from nervousness. He knew it was important to find a good front man but he also didn’t want to give up the singing and song writing, it made it feel as if it were important, like it was <em>his</em> band. Having someone new felt as if they were trying to replace him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>While he didn’t want to give it up, Naruto had accepted the fact that it was the band’s decision and it was probably the right one. “The person is going to have to be amazing to get me to agree to take someone else in,” he told the other two men that were sitting in Neji’s garage. He was just being stubborn and knew that the other guys could overrule him, as it would be two against one, but he hoped they wouldn’t take someone in if they didn’t all agree.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They had turned the garage into a makeshift studio/rehearsal area years ago and decided that it was the best place to hold the auditions; at least Neji decided it was the best place when he put out the flyers for the auditions. “Who’s up first?” Naruto asked and they signaled for the first performer to begin.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>An hour into the auditions Naruto wanted to kill himself. He had never heard so many people that were so horrible. It seemed as if they all wanted to impress them so they picked difficult songs that they couldn’t pull off and it was torture. They were all either delusional and thought they had amazing voices or stupid and took on way too difficult of songs thinking it’d give them points some how.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re such a drama queen,” Kiba told him between performers. “You only have a few more left, just suck it up and deal with it,” he practically demanded, clearly annoyed with the process as well. “Next,” Kiba called as Naruto let out an annoyed groan.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They watched as an odd looking young man with white hair and the strangest color eyes Naruto’s ever seen walk in. An attractive dark haired man followed him with a guitar, though he looked completely uninterested in the whole thing. “I’m Suigetsu, this is my friend Sasuke, he’s just helping me out,” he introduced himself, though he felt like none of them cared at that point. “This is called Fix Me,” he said quickly before Sasuke started playing. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Naruto could hardly concentrate on the man singing, he was too busy looking at the guitarist, Sasuke. It was clear the man seemed to know the song better than the singer. Naruto raised his hand to stop the man singing, it wasn’t that he was horrible but he knew it wasn’t what they were looking for and he could tell the song was not his. “Who wrote that song?” he asked. He’d never heard it before so he didn’t think it was a cover like most of the other people were singing. “I like it but I’ve never heard it before,” he explained.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sasuke here wrote it,” he said, earning a glare from his best friend. It was then that Sasuke realized why Suigetsu had such a devious look that day – this was his plan all along. Suigetsu knew the man was going to kill him, but he saw an opportunity for Sasuke and he took it, “He actually sings it a lot better than I do, if you don’t like me you should try to get him to sing it.” If Sasuke could kill with just a look he’d be dead right then and there, luckily the man hadn’t figured out how to do so yet.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You fucker is that why you picked this song?” Sasuke suddenly yelled, surprising all of them. “I knew you were up to something,” he hissed as he held back from punching the other man. If he hadn’t loved his guitar so much he might have hit Suigetsu with it but he didn’t want to break it on the man’s hard head. He just took a deep breath and was ready to say no but the dumbass blond band member decided to chime in first.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You want to give it a try?” Naruto asked, amused. The man knew how to play guitar but he figured if he could really sing then he would have auditioned himself. “I want to hear it how it’s supposed to sound,” he said as if he was daring the other man to do it and Sasuke was never one to back down from a dare.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m not auditioning,” Sasuke made clear. Naruto was surprised by his speaking voice. When his voice was calm it was incredibly sexy and that made him want to hear his singing voice even more. “I just want to make that clear. I don’t want to be part of the band but if you really want to hear it I’ll sing it,” he said and the men just nodded, by that point all of them were interested in hearing it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As he sang all three of the men’s jaws dropped. It wasn’t what they expected but it was exactly what they were looking for. The man was good looking, could write and his voice was perfect. Naruto hated him because of how perfect it was, he expected him to be mediocre like everyone else and hated that he was wrong. He could see the emotion that the song was supposed to elicit and it angered him that the man didn’t seem even slightly interested in being in the band. He didn’t want to add anyone new but as he looked at him he knew that it would help the band make it big.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The song was what Sasuke always wanted to tell his brother. He was fine just they way he was, Itachi didn’t need to fix him, but he’d never say that to his brother. He’d never tell his brother that music was where he belonged. He’d never say that there was nothing wrong with him for being gay. And he’d never say that if someone needed to be fixed it was him, not Sasuke. The song didn’t say all of that but it was what he felt when he sang the song. It was a song about what he wanted to do – he wanted to take back his life but he knew it wasn’t going to happen any time soon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When he finished Sasuke simply put his guitar in the case and got up to leave. “You seriously don’t want to audition?” Neji asked, wishing the man would change his mind. Sasuke didn’t even reply, instead he just looked at Suigetsu as if to ask the man if he was ready to leave. “At least would you be interested in writing something for us?” Neji asked, kind of desperate at that point to get the man in the band.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thanks but no thanks,” Sasuke replied with a huff. Suigetsu crossed his arms and looked at the man, clearly contemplating whether or not to argue with the man. “Don’t give me that look,” Sasuke quickly shut him down, “I came to help you that was all, I never intended to sing in the first place.” He walked away before anyone could say anything else so Suigetsu just shrugged at the guys and quickly followed his friend.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Naruto let out a sighed, “I’ll be right back.” He got up and ran after the two men, “Wait up.” He could tell that Sasuke was annoyed with him but he didn’t care, “How could you not want to be part of a band?” It seemed crazy to him that anyone could just say no to being part of a band that easily, especially when they had as much talent as he did. There was no doubt in his mind that Sasuke knew how talented he was and he couldn’t understand why he didn’t want to use his talent.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m just not interested. I know what I’m going to do with my life and music isn’t it. Music is a hobby at best but I really don’t need to explain this to you,” he said as he continued to walk. “Just accept that and leave me alone,” he told him, once again glaring at his best friend for getting him into the mess in the first place.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Look give us a chance,” Naruto said. “We play next month at the place on the corner of 5<sup>th</sup> and main street, jam with us one night there and if you hate it I’ll leave you alone.” He was once again giving him a daring look, knowing that if Sasuke tried it then he’d love it as much as Naruto did. “Just come learn our songs and play one night, that’s all I ask,” he gave it one last shot.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Suigetsu looked at Sasuke and could tell he was thinking about it. “Fine,” Sasuke finally said, “one night.” He saw the look on Naruto’s face and instantly regretted it. The man’s blue eyes lit up and he gave him the sexiest smile he’s ever seen. Sasuke knew he was in trouble at that moment, it wasn’t a look that was easy to say no to and he knew he couldn’t let the other man know that. He wasn’t even going to let the other men know he was gay; that might make things awkward. Though part of him thought he should just so he might change his mind about wanting him in the band. Sasuke decided to keep his mouth shut, figuring it wouldn’t matter, he wouldn’t be staying long.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Awesome, I promise you’ll love it,” he said excitedly. “Come by here tomorrow night at six and we can get to know each other and you can start learning our songs,” he told him. Naruto quickly turned to walk away before Sasuke could change his mind. “I’ll find you if you don’t come,” he added, the same stupid smile on his face. All Sasuke could do was let out a deep breath of regret that he even made the deal. Unfortunately for him Sasuke was an Uchiha and Uchihas never go back on their word and they never back down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So, are you going to tell Itachi?” Suigetsu asked once the blond was far enough away. Suigetsu knew how the older Uchiha felt about Sasuke pursuing music and what was expected of him. He also knew that Sasuke didn’t like to lie to his brother even if he knew that he wasn’t going to react the way he wanted. The problem was that Itachi was never going to react the way he wanted when he was in a drug-induced state. Drugs changed him, they made him mean and he knew it hurt Sasuke just to look at Itachi at that point. It was never discussed, but he knew it made Sasuke feel weak that there was nothing he could do to help his brother.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Sasuke admitted. He frowned as he thought about it, “I don’t think I can tell him. I should just get through one show and call it quits. He’s never going to leave me alone until I do so I might as well do it and be done.” Part of Sasuke knew that he only agreed because he wanted that life. He wanted to be in a band and make music, but he couldn’t. It was his dream but it wasn’t meant to be. It was just a hobby and if he kept telling himself that he hoped that eventually it’d feel right. One day it might be true.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know you don’t want to hear it, but what if you like it?” Suigetsu asked. He knew that Sasuke would like it and that he wouldn’t want to give it up once he had a taste of being on stage. It was what the man always wanted and it was a tease to have it and then rip it away. In a way it was cruel to do and it made him feel bad about practically forcing him to audition in the first place.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ll be fine,” Sasuke said, though neither of them believed it. “Itachi can never find out about this,” he told Suigetsu. “This is our secret, he can’t know, it’d just make things worse,” he let out a sigh as Suigetsu just nodded in response. Itachi would never find out and Sasuke would do one show and be done – no harm, no foul. If only he believed it himself.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let me know what you think :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Good Enough</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Song: Good Enough by Adelitas Way</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>To say that Sasuke was not impressed with his “band mates” song was an understatement. He didn’t judge Naruto’s singing merely because he would be taking over, at least for a month. He tried to only listen to the words and the melody, but it was nothing that he thought would even attract a record deal. It was merely a song that’d be played in a small club that featured garage bands because they couldn’t afford to play anyone with a record deal from a big recording studio. It wasn’t that the song was horrible but it wasn’t great. It was a song that might be added as a bonus track or a filler to make it a CD rather than just an EP.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So, what’d you think?” Naruto asked excitedly. His face fell when he saw the unimpressed look on Sasuke’s face. Part of him as angry because he felt it was one of their best songs and he knew that they weren’t that bad. “What’s with that look?” he asked, the anger evidenced in his voice. He knew the look was about the song itself because his voice wasn’t that bad and he wasn’t going to even be the lead after Sasuke joined and learned their songs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It was,” he tried to think of the right word, “decent.” He didn’t want to piss the other man off completely but he was going to speak his mind. “The song was cliché and a bit repetitive. It was a song that could be played by any band, there’s nothing special about it,” he told them, making Naruto and Kiba angry while Neji was disappointed. In Sasuke’s opinion Neji was the only one that seemed to be able to handle criticism. The man may be disappointed but he was not nearly as upset as the other two members of the band. Either the man took criticism well or he was so used to getting it that it no longer affected him, Sasuke wasn’t sure which.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Excuse me?” Naruto exploded with anger. “We get gigs and we do okay for ourselves. What have you done that makes you think you’re so fucking superior?” Kiba had to grab Naruto’s arm so he wouldn’t try to beat the man in front of him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You are the one that talked me into coming here in the first place,” Sasuke countered. “I didn’t want to join at all, I wasn’t even going to audition,” he didn’t want to admit it but Naruto’s outburst angered him. He liked how passionate the other man was about his music but if he wouldn’t listen then all that passion didn’t matter. “Tell me,” Sasuke decided to go about his argument a different way so he asked, “Why did you write that song? It’s clearly about a break up but where are the feelings?” To him a good song had to make the listener know exactly how the singer felt – they needed to be able to relate.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Clearly I didn’t want the relationship to end. Were you even listening?” Sasuke’s words just upset the blond further. He felt Sasuke hadn’t even been listening because if he had then he’d known exactly what the song was about. In that moment he wanted to punch the dark haired asshole but he knew he couldn’t. He knew that he should try to compose himself but Sasuke’s words wouldn’t let him. “What do you know about that kind of relationship?” he became defensive and didn’t believe that Sasuke had ever had that kind of relationship. From what he could tell from his personality thus far he felt like the man was a cocky asshole who probably had never been broken up with, no one was dumb enough to give up someone that sexy voluntarily.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“First, that wasn’t what I was talking about. I wanted you to describe the emotions, not tell me that you didn’t want to break up because trust me that was probably said a million times,” it was Sasuke’s turn to get angry. If he weren’t practically trained since birth to keep his composure he probably would have punched the man. “Secondly, do you really think I’ve never been dumped? I hate to tell you this but you’re no the only one that’s been broken up with,” he told the other man, continually mentally reminding himself not to hurt the other man. No one was perfect to the point that someone else didn’t fall out of love at some point. He wasn’t even sure what gave the idiot the idea that no one would ever break his heart. He wished that were the case because his teenage years would have been a little easier.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If you’re so much better about talking about your emotions then tell me about your last break up,” Naruto challenged. He hoped that Sasuke couldn’t do it just so he could prove to him that you didn’t have to be able to describe it to be able to write a song a about it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke wasn’t the best about opening up to people, which was probably one of the reasons he wasn’t very good when it came to keeping relationships. “Okay,” Sasuke said, refusing to back down. “The last time I was broken up with I could feel the relationship breaking apart before the break up even happened. I felt like nothing I did was good enough for them. I could have given them literally anything that they wanted and it still wouldn’t be enough, I wanted to keep the relationship together and it tore me apart inside knowing that it was going to end. I knew they’d break it off and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. I felt helpless because I couldn’t save a relationship that at one point I felt was as perfect as a relationship could get considering that all relationships have some problems. There was a time I was good enough but by the end I knew I wasn’t enough,” he told the group. He usually let his songs do the talking for him so it felt weird actually talking to someone about it, but he could if he had to, “That’s what the song I wrote for that relationship was about.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Naruto was speechless and hated the man for being able to say exactly how the relationship made him feel. “Then sing it. I want to hear how it’s done if it’s so easy to put all your emotions into a song,” Naruto was once again challenging Sasuke. Saying and writing a song about it were very different and he found himself hoping that Sasuke wouldn’t be able to write about it. Part of him hoped the song for the audition was just a fluke. He knew it was selfish of him to hope for such a thing because the band did need something new but the man knew all the right buttons to push to piss him off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke wanted to refuse and just leave, but he couldn’t back down, he was going to show them. He was gong to prove that he knew what he was talking about. He wrote the song his junior year of high school so it wasn’t perfect but was still better than the song they played him. “Fine,” Sasuke agreed as he signaled for him to hand him the acoustic guitar. As he played it he loved the look on Naruto’s face because it was a look of slight defeat. He knew the song was better and it showed he could put what he felt into a song.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When the song ended he looked directly at Naruto, “If you can’t take criticism are just going to refuse any help then I’m wasting my time. I’m not going to waste my time any longer since you seem to think that your song are perfect and don’t want to change. Sasuke quickly stood to leave. “Good luck,” he said to the other two members of the band. “You’re going to need it with this one,” he added before leaving the garage. Sasuke was happy because it made his decision to not be in the band much easier. Though he was also disappointed because a small part of him wanted to follow his dream.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Neji and Kiba both looked at Naruto, they were clearly annoyed. “Stop being a stubborn asshole and go get that other stubborn asshole back here,” Kiba demanded. He knew it was hard for Naruto to swallow his pride but in that moment he had to. Neither of them could get him to come back, Naruto made him leave so he had to be the one to get him back. Their words wouldn’t matter if Sasuke thought Naruto was going to continue to be a stubborn brat. “Now,” he told him as he pointed towards the door. I wasn’t up for debate and he had to do it fast before the man got to far away to find. They had no information other than his name was Sasuke in order to find him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fine,” Naruto finally gave in as he left. As much as he hated to admit it, the whole thing was his fault. His pride didn’t matter to Kiba and Neji; they wanted him to beg the man if he had to in order to get him back. Naruto ran in the direction he had seen Sasuke walk.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When he finally saw the bastard come into view a few blocks away he called out, “Sasuke.” He was a loud man so he knew that Sasuke had heard him but the man just kept walking. He obviously didn’t want to get away too badly since he didn’t start running away from him. “Please wait,” Naruto begged, starting to get out of breath. Naruto was extremely grateful when Sasuke finally stopped walking so he could catch up, but he wouldn’t let that show.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke wasn’t sure why he stopped. He was pissed off and normally would have continued to ignore the man. “What do you want?” he snapped at him. His resolve lessened slightly because of those damn blue eyes. “I told you I’m done,” he said, looking away from his eyes so he wouldn’t get drawn into them. However he kept finding himself looking back at his annoyingly beautiful eyes. He already knew that those eyes were going to be a big problem for him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Just hear me out,” Naruto pleaded. Sasuke was hesitant but he signaled for Naruto to continue. He smiled at the opportunity and Sasuke knew he was in trouble. “I’m sorry,”<br/> he said genuinely. “This has been my band since high school so it’s really difficult to let someone new in and change so much. Its also hard to hear that your writing isn’t very good when I thought that was one of our best,” he explained. He hoped that Sasuke would be forgiving but it seemed to him that the man wasn’t the forgiving type.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke wanted to tell the man to fuck off and be on his way but there was something about the man that made him not. He hardly knew the man but there was something he couldn’t quite figure out that drew him back. The man was physically attractive but that had never been enough for him before. It was something he’d never felt before and that scared him. It scared him that some stranger could affect him the way Naruto was, he was so infuriating and attractive at the same time. Before he could say no his mouth decided to ask, “Are you going to listen to what I have to say without being a complete asshole?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well I can’t make any promises,” Naruto joked. Sasuke didn’t seem amused so he quickly said, “I’m kidding I promise not to be a complete ass.” He knew he’d probably be a little bit of an ass sometimes but he wasn’t going to tell Sasuke that. He’d try not to be an ass, which was the best he could do. The man did say ‘complete’ so he figured he wasn’t lying so long as he wasn’t always an ass. He’d make sure to point that out if Sasuke got mad.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke was silent for a moment. He had a way out but if he were being honest he didn’t want it. He wanted to be in a band, no matter how much his rational side told him that he shouldn’t. “Fine,” he gave in. “But I’m not coming back today, I need some time so I don’t punch you in the face,” he told him and Naruto just nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said as he walked away. He didn’t want the man to try to convince him to go back because he knew they’d probably just get in another fight. It was for the best that they just took the rest of the day to calm down and try again the next day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Naruto watched him walk away and hoped the guys would believe him that Sasuke agreed to come back. He knew that they wanted him to come back that day but he wasn’t going to push his luck. When he walked back in alone he saw that they weren’t pleased to see him. “Calm down, he agreed to come back just not today. Apparently he might punch me if he does and I’d rather not get punched,” he reassured the other men.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He better be here tomorrow,” Neji warned, “if he isn’t the I’ll be the one punching you.” Naruto knew that Neji wasn’t threatening him, he was promising him that it’d happen. Naruto just nodded and collapsed into the chair closest to him. If that was how they continued to act then it was going to be bad for the band. “Just behave from now on,” Neji instructed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He wanted to rip Sasuke’s perfect hair out of his perfect head, but he’d behave for the sake of the band. Naruto wasn’t sure which side of him would take over as he and Sasuke got to know each other – the side that wanted to punch him or the side that wanted to fuck him. He’d never wanted to pound a stranger into them mattress as much as he did with Sasuke, if nothing else just to show the asshole who is boss. He needed to control his lust and remember that the guy’s an asshole. More importantly, he’s probably a straight asshole. There was just something so irresistible about him that made him think of all the fun ways he could tame him. But that’d be bad for the band. The number one rule of being in a band: don’t fuck the other members of the band. That rule was a lot easier to follow when he didn’t find a band member attractive.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>TBC…</strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let me know what you think :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Dirty Diana</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Song: Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson, but the Shaman's Harvest cover inspired this....</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sasuke woke up to the sound of a large crash. The panic he felt was a better stimulant than any amount coffee as he bolted up out of bed. He grabbed the gun he kept in his nightstand drawer, thinking it was a burglar. It was no secret that the Uchiha house was large and filled with valuable items so it’d be a target for anyone looking to score big. They had the most advanced alarm system money could buy but he didn’t trust that it couldn’t be disabled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He walked down the stairs slowly, not wanting to let whoever it was know that he was there. When he finally turned he corner he saw his brother with a mess around him, obviously looking for something. He looked at the gun in his hand and quickly went back up the stairs to put it back. Itachi didn’t even know Sasuke had a gun permit, let alone that he owned one. He loved Itachi but he didn’t want him to know there was a gun in the house; people do crazy things when they’re desperate.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once the gun was put away he made his way back downstairs. He looked around at the mess his brother had made and let out a sigh while closing his eyes to calm down. “What are you doing?” he asked the crazed man in front of him. He didn’t expect for Itachi to push him hard against the wall, a terrifying look in his eyes. Sasuke had no idea what was going on but he didn’t like it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Where is it?” Itachi growled. The man was disheveled and angry. He thought Sasuke must have taken whatever it was that he lost. “You’re the only other one in this house, I know you took it,” he accused Sasuke, still pinning him against the wall. It was in that moment that Sasuke was pretty sure he knew what he was talking about. “Just tell me where it is and we can pretend this never happened,” Itachi demanded, not backing down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t know where your fucking drugs are,” Sasuke said as he pushed his brother away. “Trust me I wish I did so I could get rid of them but I don’t. You probably used them all,” he hissed. He usually wouldn’t talk to his brother like that but Itachi wasn’t usually that bad. It pissed him off that he accused him of it, as much as he’d love to do it, Itachi never let him anywhere near his room and so he’d given up a long time ago.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If I find out you’re lying,” Itachi stated. They just looked at each other; he didn’t need to finish the sentence, they both knew what he meant. The threat was painfully obvious. Itachi punched the wall next to Sasuke’s head and moved away. There were no further words, just looks – one of disgust and fear from Sasuke and one of desperation and anger from Itachi. It was Itachi that left the room first, presumably to continue to rip the house apart to look for the drugs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once Itachi was out of the room Sasuke collapsed to the floor. He leaned his head against the wall, shaken up from the encounter. He looked up and saw a hole in the wall from Itachi’s fist, making him wonder what else the man was capable of in his current state of mind. He’d never seen his brother that bad and it terrified him, though he tried not to let it show. He closed his eyes and hoped it was just because he’d lost the drugs. He hoped it wasn’t the next stage. He knew there was a possibility that he moved on to something harder, something that had such an affect on him. He didn’t like the thought that his brother may be sinking deeper and becoming some sort of monster.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke looked at his watch and was grateful for rehearsal. He needed to get out of the house before something worse happened. As he got ready he looked at the nightstand and thought about the gun. He wondered if he should get rid of it just to make sure Itachi never found it; but he also thought about the fact that he might need it. Sasuke hoped it’d never come down to him having to use it to protect himself. After seeing his brother act so crazy and enraged he didn’t know what lengths Itachi would go in order to feed his addiction.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before he left the house he looked at his brother and frowned as he watched the man continue to look everywhere in the house, tearing it apart in the process. As much as he wanted to leave, it also made him wonder how he could think a band would be a good idea. Looking at his brother he knew the man wouldn’t be able to run a company and that only left him to do the job. He couldn’t, or more so wouldn’t, let his parents company be run into the ground by his brother’s addiction. The board had given him the summer to prepare himself before he’d have to be part of the business. He could only hope that his brother could last a summer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke was torn between calling the band and saying he couldn’t do it and just going to rehearsal. For once he decided to do something for himself – he needed to do it even if it were just for the summer. It may be selfish but in the end it might help his mental health and he was helping a band when it came to the music they’d be playing, at least that’s how he justified what he was doing. He gave one last look at his brother before grabbing his keys and heading out the door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>NS</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Naruto could tell that something weird was going on with Sasuke but he didn’t want to ask. They agreed to be civil and work together and he didn’t want to push him and cause another fight. He knew that fighting was probably inevitable but for the time being he didn’t want to start something. He pretended he needed to tune his guitar but he was really just looking at Sasuke. The man was reading over their songs and creating two piles. He wasn’t sure what they were for but he seemed to be organizing them. “What’s with the piles?” Naruto finally asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“These are shit,” Sasuke said as he pointed to his left and Naruto took a deep breath so he didn’t start a fight. “These are workable,” Sasuke pointed to his right. He smirked at the look on the blonde’s face. He needed a distraction and getting the blonde angry was perfect for that. “Don’t give me that look, do you want my help or not?” he taunted. Naruto didn’t respond he just looked away. “That’s what I thought,” Sasuke said, causing Naruto to want to punch the smug look off his face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We have a month,” Kiba pointed out. “We might be able to just write some new stuff or you could always share some of yours,” he suggested. He hoped they wouldn’t fight if they wrote something new together. “I’m sure you guys could find something to write about,” he added, bored from waiting for Sasuke to analyze everything they already had written.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke looked at Naruto, waiting for his opinion. The blonde seemed to be thinking about it, “We could use some of our stuff and mix in new stuff I supposed.” Naruto looked at Sasuke hoping he’d agree so that they wouldn’t have to fight about it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fine,” he replied. “I’m still tweaking some of your songs though. Maybe not the melody but definitely some of these lyrics,” he added as he stared at Naruto as if daring him to disagree. Naruto just nodded because he didn’t trust himself not to argue if he spoke. “Good.” Sasuke said. “Alright dumbass let’s see what your writing process is,” he teased.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You make it really hard to be nice,” Naruto told him but all he got in return was a sexy smirk. He’d never found himself so turned on and annoyed at the same time. “Asshole,” he mumbled before starting to brainstorm exactly what it was they wanted to write about. It was easier to write when inspiration hit, not forcing it, but they had limited time and a lot to do.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It only a half hour before they were fighting over some lyric and once inspiration hit they were on a roll until they got to the second verse, which was when they reached an impasse. “That doesn’t even go with the rest of the fucking song,” Sasuke argued.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Neji was starting to get a headache from the two fighting so he interrupted, “You two started off so well.” He sighed, “Let’s take a break for the night and both of you can think about it. Tomorrow you can try to calmly discuss the lyrics to use.” He knew there wouldn’t be anything calm about the process with the two men that were involved, but he could hope. It seemed to calm them both down for a moment and he knew it was gong to be a lot of work getting the two to agree completely.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I agree,” Kiba chimed in; sick of hearing them fight. “I think we should all go out tonight,” he suggested excitedly.  It had been a while and after hearing all of their bickering that day he needed a drink. “We can all get to know each other better. It’ll help writing and maybe you guys can learn to get along,” he last part was a joke but he hoped it could eventually be true. “Seriously though I need a drink.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once they all agreed to go out the difficult part was getting everyone to agree on where to go. “Fine,” Sasuke gave in, knowing he was outnumbered, “if it’ll make you shut up we can go to that hole in the wall you call a bar.” At that point Sasuke was regretting agreeing to go at all, but the more he thought about going home and Itachi the more he thought that going out might be the lesser of two evils.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Naruto smile triumphantly. For once he felt like he’d gotten his way when it came to Sasuke. “Good,” he said happily. He looked at the clock, “We should go while it’s still happy hour. They have the best cheese sticks.” In Naruto’s opinion the one downside to the bar was that they didn’t serve ramen, but they still had some good bar food. He also knew they had karaoke and planned to get Sasuke on stage, but he kept that to himself. None of them decided to argue any further so they got up and headed out the door. “This is gonna be fun,” Naruto was pumped up and ready to drink.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I already regret this,” Sasuke mumbled as he followed the other men. Kiba just chuckled as Neji rolled his eyes and Naruto pretended not to hear him. The bar was in walking distance so they decided to walk, that way no one had to be the designated driver. The bar was one that only locals really knew about; it was small but it was Naruto’s favorite.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was just named <em>The Bar,</em> which made Sasuke skeptical when he saw it. He’d never been much of drinker so he’d never really gone out to bars and had definitely never been to the small bar that Naruto seemed to love. He was surprised how busy the bar was when they walked in and even more surprised that it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be, but there was no way he’d admit that to the blonde.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“See it’s a cool bar,” Naruto sad as they entered the bar. “Admit it,” he smiled but Sasuke just looked at him as if he were crazy. “Whatever,” Naruto huffed as he found a table. The bar was full of tables with a bar on the back wall, a dance floor in the middle and a small stage to the right of the dance floor.  They had a surprisingly long menu and decent music playing, it wasn’t his favorite but it was a tolerable kind of dance music. They didn’t play the music too loud like some places but it was loud enough for anyone that wanted to dance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke gave Naruto a suspicious look when he saw them having people on the small stage for karaoke. He saw the dumb smile that Naruto was giving him and said, “No.” Before Naruto could argue he said, “I see that dumbass look on your face and you’re not getting me up there.” He signaled to the stage but Naruto just continued to grin. “I’m serious,” he added, trying his best to be intimidating, but it didn’t seem to work on the other man.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes you are, we have to see what kind of front man you’ll be,” he told him. “What better way to do it than by having you do karaoke?” he asked, acting innocent but having a devilish look in his eyes. “They have a good rock selection, I’m sure you’ll find something,” he said as he started pushing him toward the stage area. The other men just laughed and sat at a table, being no help to Sasuke. “You can’t be a lead singer of a band if you can’t even get on stage of a small bar and do karaoke,” he pointed out and Sasuke decided to give up and walk without being pushed. “Good, see I told you this would be fun,” he continued to have a devilish grin on his face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Not my definition of fun,” Sasuke mumbled. Naruto just ignored him and handed him the list of songs they had available. Sasuke knew he wasn’t going to get out of it so he just looked over the list and tried to find something good. “So by good rock selection you mean classic rock and Nickelback?” he asked skeptically as he flipped through the list. He chuckled and handed the book back to him, knowing that his choice would surprise Naruto.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He got up on his turn and told the guy what song he’d be doing and the smirk on his face made Naruto wonder what he was up to. When the music started playing Naruto was surprised, he didn’t take him for a Michael Jackson fan but there he was singing Dirty Diana. He made it his own, though he couldn’t change the melody behind it he didn’t try to sound like Michael Jackson like most people that did karaoke did. He found himself memorized as he watched the man. He didn’t move like a front man but he sang and commanded the stage like one, even when he was doing a song that was so iconic. He looked around and saw the girls all turning their attention to the stage, practically drooling over Sasuke. He wasn’t doing any special moves, it was pretty much just standing on stage singing, yet he was able to pull all the girls attention onto him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When he was done he gave the microphone back to the guy running the karaoke. He walked back to Naruto, “Happy? Is that front man enough for you?” He could feel the eyes of almost all of the women in the bar focused on him. He didn’t like it but he was used to it, he knew he was good looking and the voice helped attract the women. The problem was that he didn’t want them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We could work on your moves,” Naruto quickly replied. He snapped out of his daze from just watching the man sing. “You just stood up there like board, don’t worry I’ll help you work on that tomorrow,” he couldn’t help but wink, which confused Sasuke. “Let’s get back to the guys, I need at drink,” Naruto said, feeling a little stupid for adding the wink and he could tell Sasuke was confused by it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okay so now that you have all of the girls attention do you think you could help me with her?” Kiba said as they walked over, signaling toward a dark haired girl at the bar. Sasuke looked over and saw her and a blonde girl. Once the blonde saw him looking she batted her eyes and smiled at him. “See that one’s already interested in you, be my wing man,” Kiba pleaded.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you staring at my cousin?” Neji interrupted when he looked at the two girls. “That’s Hinata,” he told him. “Remember you met her when we were kids,” he was not happy that one of his best friends was attracted to his cousin. “You know family is off limits,” he added in a warning tone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s Hinata?” Kiba asked, not believing that she grew up to look like that. “It’s not my fault your cousin is hot, besides it’s a cousin not a sibling, completely different,” he tried to make his case. “Please?” he resorted to pleading for his permission, “Let me try at least.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Neji sat there, as if trying to decide what to do. Before he could say anything the two girls walked up. The blonde put her hand on Sasuke’s shoulder, “That’s quite the voice you’ve got.” She flirted and twirled her hair around her fingers. “I’m Ino,” she introduced herself.  She leaned on the table, making sure her boobs were pushed up in her low cut dress. “What’s your name?” Ino asked, looking directly at Sasuke.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sasuke,” he answered, clearly not interested in her. He was uncomfortable, usually he’d just say that he’s that gay and most women would walk away but he wasn’t sure how the other guys would feel about him being gay. He thought about his choices. He could either play along and his sexuality would be safe or he could be himself and if they don’t want him in the band then he didn’t have to be in the band.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You want to dance?” she asked as she moved closer to him. He could feel her against him and he knew he couldn’t play along, nor did he want to. “It’ll be fun,” she added with a smile.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No,” he replied, moving away from her. “I’m not interested,” he told her. He wasn’t ashamed of being gay, nor had he been for years. He tried to tell her no without just saying that he’s gay so that things wouldn’t be awkward but if she didn’t get the hint he would.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“At least give me a chance,” she said, offended from his flat out rejection. “Do you already have a girlfriend or something?” she asked, hand on her hip. It was a stance that every woman Sasuke had ever known took when they were angry. “You don’t need to be rude, I mean you can just tell me if you already have a girlfriend,” she didn’t believe that he would just flat out reject her for any other reason. There had to be a girl already in his life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No,” he responded, “I don’t have a girlfriend.” She looked surprised but before she could say anything he added, “And no, I don’t want one.” He sighed as he looked anywhere other than the other guys at the table and he knew that she wasn’t going to give up as she stayed and looked at him, expecting more of a reason. “You don’t have the right parts,” he told her and everyone at the table looked surprised. She didn’t leave so he added, “In case you don’t understand what I mean; I don’t want a girlfriend because I don’t like girls. Now I’m going to get a drink.” He stood up and moved passed the girl, who seemed to be in too much shock to move.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Naruto snapped out of his own shock and quickly got up to follow Sasuke. Once he reached the bar he squeezed between Sasuke and some chick. She seemed upset when he ruined her chances to talk to the other man. “You didn’t have to lie to her,” Naruto said, his heart racing. Part of him hoped Sasuke had been lying because it would be so much easier to not have dirty thoughts about the sexy man if he were straight. Sasuke just looked at him as if he were an idiot. “I mean,” he paused, “you were lying, right?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I wasn’t,” he quickly replied as he waited for his drink. “Is that a problem?” he looked at the blonde and Naruto knew there was only one correct answer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Not at all,” Naruto said a little too fast. He didn’t add that it’d be hypocritical of him to say someone couldn’t be gay. He wasn’t going to tell him at that point that he was also gay because it could make it very awkward. It was something they had in common but it wasn’t one of those things that’d make them get along better so he kept it to himself. “Now that I think about it I should have known that no straight man would spend that much time on his hair,” Naruto teased with a little smile. “I mean really, how long does it take to get your hair to stay like that?” he asked with a laugh.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shut up moron,” Sasuke respond, trying to hide the small smile. It was always nice to not be judged because of his sexuality. After Sasuke got his beer they looked over to the table where Neji and Kiba seemed to be arguing. “We should probably go over there and stop them from ripping each other apart,” Sasuke said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Probably,” Naruto agreed but didn’t move.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke looked at Naruto, “But we aren’t, are we?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nope,” Naruto laughed. “We should let them work out this whole Hinata thing,” he said, looking at the two. When it came to that kind of relationship he wasn’t going to get in between them. “No need to get in the middle of that, if he wants to go for Neji’s cousin he can work that out with him without our help.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke just shrugged and continued to look at the other two men, “That’s probably the best thing to do.” He looked at Naruto; surprised that for once they were not only getting along but also agreeing. “I think we got off to a bad start,” Sasuke suddenly said, surprising even himself. He didn’t usually try to mend relationships; he was better at making things worse.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Me too,” Naruto said with a smile. He was excited at that thought that they might actually get along. “I’m Naruto,” he said holding out his hand. Sasuke just laughed a little and shook his head. “What? Getting off to a new start,” Naruto smiled as he put his hand down, loving how Sasuke looked when he laughed, having a feeling it was a very rare occurrence. He bit his lip a little; happy that Sasuke seemed completely oblivious to the way he was looking at him. He couldn’t help but let his eyes wander his body for a moment as Sasuke looked over at their band mates again. Naruto quickly looked away when he saw Sasuke’s attention turn back towards him. “Tonight was a good idea,” Naruto said, feeling for the first time that they could get along.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let me know what you think</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Brother</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Song: Brother by Adelitas Way</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was nine in the morning when Sasuke’s phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and became annoyed when it read <em>Kakashi</em>. “What do you want?” he answered. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Kakashi; it was more that he knew it would be about his parents’ business. Kakashi had been their long time advisor and was Itachi’s right hand man at that point, though he wasn’t sure how much longer he’d put up with Itachi. He knew about the addiction, though the topic was usually avoided. There hadn’t been much to talk about until the past year when it had gotten worse to the point it was affecting his ability to work.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You want to tell me where the hell your brother is?” the older asked. Kakashi was clearly unhappy about whatever predicament Itachi had put him in at that point. “He was supposed to be here an hour ago for a meeting with the board and I can only stall them for so long,” he explained, trying to be quiet so he didn’t attract attention from the board. Sasuke knew that Kakashi probably didn’t tell them he had to call the younger Uchiha to find out what Itachi was doing. The board didn’t know about the addiction, or if they did they hadn’t said anything. It had become obvious that they were trying to push Itachi out of the business, which he believed was the main reason they had pressured him to hurry into his role after to college.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ll find him, he probably over slept,” Sasuke said. He didn’t want to admit to Kakashi that he had no idea because he had let himself sleep in after a night of drinking. He’d never hear the end of it if Kakashi knew he’d finally gone out with what the older man would assume were his friends like he had been trying to get him to for years. “Don’t worry I’ll get him there,” he promised, both of them knowing it might not be one he could keep.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What’s going on with him?” Kakashi asked, being uncharacteristically serious. “Have things gotten worse?” he asked when Sasuke didn’t answer. “I need to know what I’m dealing with Sasuke.” They both knew it wasn’t anything good, but it was something he needed to know so he could continue to do damage control.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Sasuke admitted. “He’s getting worse but I honestly don’t know what’s going on with him. I don’t know if he’s doing something worse, but he went crazy yesterday,” Sasuke explained, not wanting to have the conversation. “If I knew more I’d tell you but I don’t, I wish I did,” he added with a sigh, “I’ll get him there.” Sasuke hung up before Kakashi could push him for more information. He didn’t want to hear the man say that he shouldn’t take the summer that the board had given him. He didn’t want to hear that the company needed him. Hearing those words would make everything harder to ignore.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke got up, trying to shake off the guilt he was feeling. He walked downstairs to see something he’d never wanted to see. There were drugs spread across the table along with various kinds of drug paraphernalia. He realized part of the problem at that point was that Itachi was mixing drugs. He’d gone from one to multiple drugs at a time, which was not only bad for his overall health, but could cause some serious damage to his mental health. It explained a lot of his actions. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Sasuke asked, extremely upset of the scene in front of him. He knew his brother did drugs but he’d never actually seen him do it and there he was doing it in their living room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What does it look like?” Itachi responded, not even bothering to look at him. His brother didn’t seem to even care about how he felt. Even if he didn’t want to admit it, he had known that Itachi he didn’t really care, but it didn’t make it hurt any less to have him ignore him so that he could shoot up whatever it was in the needle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke grabbed the needle before the older man could inject himself, “Don’t do that in here or anywhere near me.” He was angry that he’d even think of doing it in front of him. It wasn’t something he needed to see, mainly because it was easier to ignore when he didn’t see it happening. He had completely forgotten about his conversation with Kakashi for a moment as his anger took over. “How dare you do that here? Do you not even care about the memories that are in this room or do you not even stop to think about what mom and dad would think of you right now?” he couldn’t believe that Itachi would do it where they used to have family gatherings because in Sasuke’s mind it was something he should care about. He should care that their parents’ pictures were hanging on the wall. It should make him think about how they would feel, but clearly it didn’t.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Itachi stood up and grabbed the needle back, “If you don’t want to see it then don’t look.” He went back to sitting and Sasuke only knocked the needle back out of his hand. Itachi’s entire demeanor became darker. “You don’t want to play this game,” Itachi warned him but Sasuke wasn’t backing down. “Just remember I warned you,” he told the younger man.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t even recognize you anymore,” Sasuke told him, holding back tears that were threatening to fall as he saw his brother slip away. He felt his heart breaking, but he wouldn’t let himself cry in front of his brother. “Clearly you don’t care about that though. You disgust me.” Before he knew it his brother’s fist collided with his face. Sasuke was knocked to the ground and Itachi was on top of him, hitting him again. Sasuke had never wanted it to become a physical fight, but deep down he had known it could eventually happen.  </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before he punched him again Itachi stopped and saw the scared look on his brother’s face. He put his hand down, “You made me.” He wouldn’t take the blame; to him it was all Sasuke’s fault. “I warned you,” he added, his eyes hardened. Sasuke wasn’t sure why he stopped, but it made him hope that there might be some part of his brother still inside.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke was breathing hard, “I didn’t make you do a damn thing.” He pushed his brother off, feeling weak. He couldn’t fight back, not when it was his brother. No matter what his brother did, Sasuke would always have the memory how his brother was before the drugs took over. “Kakashi called, you’re late to a meeting so I suggest you put the fucking needle away and get to that meeting,” he told him, holding back all of the emotions he felt inside. He quickly got up and ran out of the room before anything further could happen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He got to his room, shutting and locking the door. He sat on his bed, head in his hands. He let himself cry for the first time in years. The tears fell that he’d been holding in for so long. He was a strong man but there was only so much he could take. He felt himself breaking inside and it felt as if there was nothing he could do.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His brother was lucky that he wasn’t dead. Mixing drugs was dangerous and made everything worse. He heard the garage door open and knew that Itachi was leaving. It was hard to know that he was going to be out driving drugged up but he knew Itachi wasn’t going to listen to him. He wouldn’t call the police, though he knew he should. He should have gotten him on drug charges but he was family and that would be a huge betrayal. He couldn’t force him into rehab, the man was an adult and it was ultimately his choice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He also knew that he couldn’t stay in such a toxic environment. Sasuke picked up his phone, knowing it was probably time to talk to someone.  It rang twice before he heard Suigetsu’s voice, “Hey what’s up?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I need to stay with you,” Sasuke told him, his voice quivered and Suigetsu could tell he was scared of something. He knew it had to be bad if Sasuke was scared, it took a lot to scare the man and even more for him to let it show. “I can’t stay here,” he continued, “I can’t stay with him.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Suigetsu then realized it was about Itachi, “You know you can stay with me any time.” Before he could ask any questions he heard Sasuke mumble “Thanks” and hung up. It made him worry about his best friend but he knew he’d talk about it once he was ready.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke went to his closet quickly changing out of his pajamas before grabbing his suitcase, deciding he’d have to make do with whatever he could fit in it. He threw it on the bed and the first place he looked was his nightstand. He opened the drawer, grabbing the gun out. He grabbed the case from under the bed and placed it inside before putting it in his suitcase. Itachi may not have known it was there but he didn’t need him stumbling upon it. He doubted at that point that Itachi would really notice he was gone, but that didn’t matter.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>All he knew was that he needed to get out of the house. Itachi seemed to be getting more aggressive and the last thing he needed was another fight. He didn’t know how far the next encounter would go if he stayed. Sasuke took one last look around the room, wishing it hadn’t come to this. Mostly he wished that he had done something sooner, because then maybe his brother could have stopped. He couldn’t help but blame himself, thinking that he should have done something sooner before Itachi had fallen that deep into addiction.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He tried to shake off the guilt he was feeling, though he knew that was probably impossible. He wondered if it was too late to save his brother. He hoped it wasn’t but part of him had a bad feeling that Itachi would never be the same. He wasn’t sure that he could ever look at his brother the same even if he did manage to eventually get clean.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke made his way out of the house trying not to look back as he threw everything he could carry into the trunk of his car. He made sure his guitar was securely placed into the back seat; it was the one thing he handled with care. Sasuke took a deep breath as he got into his car before closing his eyes as he tried to let himself accept that it was for the best. He started the car and drove away, trying not to look back because he knew if he did he might not leave.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once he pulled up to Suigetsu’s house he turned off the car and looked at himself in the visor mirror.  He touched his eye, seeing that a bruise had clearly formed. There was no denying that he had a black eye and he knew that he’d have to explain it, especially to his best friend. He’d tell the truth to Suigetsu but he wasn’t sure he could tell the band what happened if they asked. He wasn’t ready to share everything with them when he had told himself that he wouldn’t be staying in the band after the summer was over.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What the hell happened?” Suigetsu exclaimed as he walked outside to help Sasuke. “Don’t tell me Itachi did this,” he frowned, knowing it was the only explanation as to why Sasuke couldn’t remain in his own house. Sasuke just nodded as they grabbed his things out of his car. Suigetsu sighed, “Come on, you have some explaining to do.” They walked into Suigetsu’s house and set Sasuke’s minimal belongings to the side. “So what the hell happened? Is he that bad?” Suigetsu asked. He had not realized the extent to which Itachi had fallen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We got in a fight,” Sasuke shrugged, trying to brush it off, but Suigetsu knew better than to believe that a simple fight between the brothers would end in a black eye. They’d had verbal arguments before and Sasuke would leave the house, but it never escalated to physical violence. Sasuke was silent for a moment; he knew Suigetsu was waiting for a further explanation. “He went crazy yesterday, ripping the house apart looking for his drugs,” Sasuke paused, looking down at his hands, “he blamed me for taking them. He pinned me to the wall, threatening me if he found out that I did take them. Then he punched the wall next to me as a warning.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Suigetsu stayed silent, knowing there was more to the story and that he had to be patient. The other man wasn’t one to show vulnerability, it made him feel weak so he waited patiently for him to continue. Sasuke took a deep breath before explaining, “Today I got a call from Kakashi asking where Itachi was because he wasn’t at work.” Sasuke’s voice was shaky, having a hard time getting the words out, “I went downstairs to see his drugs spread all over the table and he was ready to shoot up. I yelled at him for doing it just out in the open because I didn’t want to see it. It started a fight and he attacked me, punching me twice. I told him he needed to go to work and left the room before it could get worse. Then he left, I don’t know if he did the drugs first but based on how he was acting I’m guessing that he did.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Suigetsu didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t even sure if there was anything he could say to make the other man feel better. “I wish there was something I could do.” Sasuke didn’t even look at him; he just stared blankly at the wall as he sat on Suigetsu’s couch. Suigetsu hadn’t seen the man such a state since they were children when his parents died. He looked so hopeless and lifeless that it made Suigetsu angry with Itachi, but he knew he couldn’t do anything; Sasuke wouldn’t let him. He was somehow paler than usual and it scared him to his core to see his best friend lose all of the life in his eyes. “Maybe you should take a day off from the band,” Suigetsu suggested as he looked at the time; knowing that it was almost time for him to practice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No,” he said, still staring at the wall. “I think I need something to take my mind off everything and maybe those idiots will be able to do that,” he tried to fake an air of confidence, to pretend that he was fine. “I should go,” he said, though they both knew that he didn’t actually need to leave that early.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Suigetsu didn’t protest, he knew the man was just trying to get out of a conversation he wasn’t ready to have yet. He just watched as Sasuke got up and walked out of the door; knowing he’d talk about it when he was ready. When Sasuke’s car started he could hear him blasting <em>Just Like You</em> by Three Days Grace. They were one of his go to bands when he was in an angry mood and he could only picture that Sasuke was singing along with every word.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>NS</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>The band heard his car pull up before they ever saw Sasuke. They looked at each other wondering what was going on. They knew Sasuke liked music, but it was extremely angry and loud.  At some point during his drive he’d changed to Five Finger Death Punch and at that point <em>Burn MF</em> was blasting. It wasn’t quite the direction they would ever take the band so they hoped it wasn’t something Sasuke would suggest.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Sasuke walked in, they could all tell that something was off but he was clearly not in the mood to talk about whatever was bothering him. “Hey,” Naruto said hesitantly, but all he got in return was a grunt. “So,” he started again, just staring at the man’s black eye, “What happened to you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m not here to talk about that,” Sasuke said sharply, putting an end to any conversation dealing with the bruise. “What are you looking at me like that for?” he snapped as Neji was just looking at him confused. None of them were sure what to think.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nothing,” Neji replied, looking away from the man. “You just don’t seem in the mood today,” he observed. When he didn’t get a response he didn’t bother to press the issue. “Ok, well I think Naruto wanted to work on your front man skills today,” he smirked at the blonde, hoping it may lighten the mood.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Naruto clenched his teeth to stop from yelling at the longhaired man. It was true that he initially planned to try to convince Sasuke to be more animated on stage, but after he saw the mood the other man was in he had certainly changed his mind. “I don’t think Sasuke’s in the mood for that today. I say we just work on a new song,” he suggested, hoping that he wouldn’t have to deal with whatever attitude Sasuke would give him. He could already tell that Sasuke would have to be in good mood for him to take any advice that Naruto gave him. He was starting to question if the dark haired man would ever be in that good of a mood.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We can write, you guys just work on his charisma,” Neji replied, an annoying smirk still on his face. Naruto just wanted to punch him and ask him what the hell he was getting revenge for. “Maybe it’ll cheer him up,” he added with a laugh as if Sasuke wasn’t even there.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why the fuck would I want to do that?” Sasuke asked with an annoyed look that could possibly kill. They were all probably lucky that Sasuke had never acquired the skill to kill with a single look or he would have used it on all of them. He clearly wasn’t amused, however that didn’t stop Neji from pressing the issue. Sasuke finally gave in just to shut the man up, but he wasn’t happy about it, “Fine. Just shut up.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Naruto shot Neji a look but it was nothing compared to the one Sasuke had been giving him. “Come on, let’s go over here, I need room,” Naruto said, causing Sasuke to roll his eyes but he still got up and followed. Once they were away from the other two men, Naruto looked at Sasuke and asked, “Is everything okay?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m fine,” Sasuke said as he leaned against the wall. Considering it was just a large garage, it was surprisingly clean. “What do you think I need to know?” he asked, not really caring what he said, it wasn’t as if he were going to listen. It did seem amusing to him that Naruto thought he could teach him out to be a better front man. It just wasn’t who he was to move around the stage in the way Naruto was suggesting.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well first, your stage presence needs to be better. I mean you don’t really move around much. You need to loosen up and get in a grove,” Naruto explained as he moved his body a little. Sasuke couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle, which surprised Naruto. It wasn’t quite a laugh, but it was as close as he was going to get from the other man. “I’m being serious,” Naruto huffed, clearly frustrated by his response.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s why it’s funny,” Sasuke retorted. “Clearly this is your thing. You can still shake your ass all over the stage as much as you want, but I’m not going to,” he clarified. It was truly entertaining and somewhat arousing to see Naruto shake his ass and try to convince him that hip thrusts were necessary.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But you’re our front man now, you have to have a personality that the ladies want,” he told him. “The music is enough for men, but the ladies they want to be able to drool over the front man and dream about him singing to just them,” he explained as he continued to exhibit the moves he felt Sasuke needed to learn.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I thought we talked about this at that dumbass karaoke bar. I don’t need to do your little dances; they come up to me regardless. No matter how much I don’t want them to,” he reminded him. Not that he needed to, Naruto was very aware of the fact Sasuke was gay. While that may not have been the point he was making, it was all that Naruto could think about since he’d learned of the man’s sexual preferences. “Now if you don’t mind, I really rather just work on a new song,” Sasuke added, wanting it to all just be over.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“One girl in a bar isn’t the same as being on stage in front of a group of people,” Naruto countered. “You need to do more when you’re appealing to a crowd. You just need to accept that you need more moves,” he continued, though Sasuke had stopped listening. He knew that Naruto was continuing to try to convince him but he just inadvertently found himself checking the other man out. “Are you even listening?” Naruto angrily asked, pulling Sasuke from his slight daze.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Of course,” he lied, though he knew that Naruto knew he was lying. All he could do was hope that Naruto didn’t know he had been undressing him with his eyes. “Please continue,” he added, unconsciously biting his bottom lip.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In that moment Naruto felt extremely confident. He knew Sasuke had been checking him out and he that he liked what he saw. “Is that so?” he asked, moving closer to him. “Then what was I saying?” he asked, noting Sasuke’s surprised look. “Because I’m pretty sure you weren’t listening,” he added, leaning on a nearby guitar stand. He was trying to be sexy, but the universe was not on his side as the stand tipped over and he fell to the ground.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke laughed, forgetting about what else was going on in his life at that moment. He looked at Naruto sprawled out on the ground trying to compose him, for some reason he found it exceptionally sexy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Across the room the other two men were watching the events unfold. It was a big garage, but it wasn’t big enough that they couldn’t hear most of the conversation. “So, how long until they fuck?” Kiba asked Neji quietly so the other men wouldn’t hear them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Neji shrugged, “It could be awhile.” Kiba looked confused until Neji reminded him, “Sasuke doesn’t even know that Naruto is gay. Until he grows the balls to tell him, Sasuke won’t make a move. He’s not dumb enough to hit on a straight man.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He’s clearly dumb enough not to notice Naruto’s gay,” Kiba replied. To him it was obvious, but he’d been told that Naruto could come off straight at times. “I mean come on, it couldn’t be more obvious.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Considering how much he’s talked about getting the ladies to love and drool over him, it’s not really surprising. I don’t think Naruto comes off as gay. Then again the look he’s been giving him ever since they met should make it obvious enough,” Neji wondered how Sasuke could be so blind. “One of them will break soon enough.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I really tried to make this end on a little more of a lighter note since the beginning of the chapter was fairly heavy...let me know what you think...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Torn to Pieces</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Song: Torn to Pieces by Pop Evil </p>
<p>I absolutely love this song if you have never heard it I suggest listening to it or looking at the lyrics for this chapter</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Sasuke lay in bed staring at the ceiling he wished he could just go back in time and rewrite the past. He wasn’t sure he even wanted to go to rehearsal and had written and erased multiple text messages to the band with different excuses as to why he couldn’t come but none were sent.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was the anniversary of his parents’ death. The day his life changed forever, the day that sparked his brother’s downward spiral. He didn’t usually do anything on that date other than wallow alone in misery. Part of him said to curl up in bed and not interact with anyone. The other part of him was telling him to suck it up and get out of bed. As much as he wanted to listen to the first part, he knew that he had to get up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When he emerged from the room he could feel Suigetsu’s eyes on him. “I’m surprised you’re up,” Suigetsu commented as Sasuke made his way to the coffee maker. Sasuke had never been a big coffee drinker, but today was an exception. He needed energy to make it through the day without completely breaking down. “I figured you weren’t even going to bother getting out of bed today,” he added as he motioned to the clock.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shit,” Sasuke cussed as he saw the time. He had to be at the garage in an hour and he wasn’t even close to presentable. While he wasn’t completely vain, he also didn’t want to look like shit. “Guess I should probably get ready,” he mumbled as he poured himself a cup.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You sure you want to go?” Suigetsu asked knowing that the anniversary was always difficult for him no matter how long it had been. Sasuke was usually good at hiding most of his emotions, but anyone could tell that he was fucked up at that moment. “I know you don’t want to talk about it and it’ll be a little difficult looking like that,” he told him. Sasuke just grunted with a slight shrug. Suigetsu knew the conversation was ending at that point. “Well have fun then,” he said as he watched Sasuke walk back into his spare bedroom, “and try not to kill anyone today.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No promises,” Sasuke responded before shutting the room door. He walked into the attached bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked like hell, probably because he felt like hell. His hair was sticking out in every direction, there were dark circles under his eyes and he was paler than usual, which was saying a lot considering his fair complexion. He sighed, knowing that there wasn’t much he could do. He washed his face, which helped a little, but not enough in his opinion. Part of him didn’t even care about how he looked, but there was a small part in the back of his mind that thought about the hot blonde he’d be seeing. Even though he knew he didn’t have a chance, and even if he did it’d be a bad idea, he still wanted to look good. He brushed his hair to try to fix his appearance the best he could. After brushing his teeth, he finally finished getting ready and decided that was the best he was going to look for the day.  </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>NS</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Sasuke was surprised when he arrived at the garage and he was the first one there. He looked at his watch and saw he had about ten minutes before they were supposed to meet. He saw the piano in the far corner of the garage walked over to it. His fingers brushed the keys before he sat down. He absent-mindedly started to play the piano. There wasn’t anything in particular he was playing; it just helped him to relax. He starting playing a tune similar to that of the song he had been trying to write but it didn’t seem to fit and it bothered him that he couldn’t find a melody to go with the song.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Naruto walked in and saw that Sasuke was playing the piano with he quickly text Neji and Kiba <em>‘Stay away for an hour.’ </em>Luckily, his phone was on silent so it didn’t attract Sasuke’s attention when he received wink emoticons and teasing remarks in response. He rolled his eyes at the responses before making his presence known. “So, how many instruments do you play?” he asked Sasuke as he walked into the garage.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke was startled for a moment, but quickly recovered his composure. “That you have here? All of them,” he replied. “And a few others that you don’t have,” he added. “When you grow up with money and parents that encourage your love of music you get to take lessons in whatever you want. Though a few are self-taught,” he explained, but continued to play. He left out that the ones that weren’t self-taught he finished learning on his own when Itachi stopped encouraging his love of music. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“New song?” Naruto asked as he leaned on the piano.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No. Well, maybe,” he stopped playing, trying to decide if he’d ever finish the song he was writing. “Really I don’t even know. It kind of goes with some lyrics I started but I don’t think it flows well with it.” He was torn as to where to go with the song. In a way the song he started writing was personal so he wasn’t even sure he wanted to share it at all. “I just can’t seem to come up with a melody I like I guess.” If he were being honest, it wasn’t even a full song he had to work with. It was mostly just a chorus and an idea that he couldn’t bring himself to fully express.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What’s it about?” Naruto asked as he took a seat next to Sasuke on the piano bench. He wasn’t sure why he sat next to him but the other man didn’t seem to complain so he wasn’t going to make a big deal about it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke surprised even himself by saying, “My parents.” He didn’t often talk about them, especially on the anniversary, but for some reason he allowed for the conversation to start. “Their death,” he added as he once again played the keys on the piano. “It’s not something I really talk about,” he finished, not looking Naruto in the eyes. He didn’t want Naruto to ask any questions because he wasn’t sure he could hold it together if he talked about what had happened.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well maybe I can help,” he suggested. “I mean I never even knew my parents so I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose them,” he said, though it didn’t make Sasuke feel any better. “You know if you can’t really talk about it then singing about it might help,” the blonde told him, hoping he could get the other man to write with him. “We could work on it, the other guys text me saying they’d probably be an hour late,” he informed the other man. He’d never tell Sasuke that he had told them to stay away because he hoped Sasuke would share what was on his mind and he didn’t want to share that moment with the other guys.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke was apprehensive about sharing a song that meant so much to him but he agreed, “Okay, we could give it a shot I guess.” He moved off the piano bench and grabbed a guitar, “But I don’t think it’s a piano song.” Naruto just nodded and followed him over to one of the couches they had in the middle of the room, grabbing his own guitar along the way.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When they moved to the couch Naruto finally was able to get a good look at how disheveled Sasuke appeared. “You okay? You don’t really have your usual pristine appearance,” he asked which just made Sasuke glare at him a little. “I’m serious.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You saying I look like shit?” Sasuke became defensive. “I know you aren’t the best at sugarcoating but you could be a little bit more polite when telling someone they look like shit,” his voice was seeping with sarcasm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s not what I meant,” Naruto argued. “What’s wrong?” he asked, determined to get a real answer. His guitar was propped up against the couch next to him as he looked at Sasuke. It was clear he was not going to drop the subject and let them move on without an explanation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke unconsciously licked his lips and let out a sigh, “Fine.” He watched as Naruto perked up a bit, almost as if a dog waiting for a treat. “It’s the anniversary of my parents’ death. I didn’t really get much sleep last night; I never do the night before. I just kind of feel like,” he searched for the right words, “like an airplane on the edge of a sky full of solid gray.” Naruto just watched as Sasuke grabbed his writing notebook and wrote that down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh, interesting way to put it,” he said. “Using that as part of the song?” he asked. Sasuke just nodded in response. He wasn’t sure what else to say as silence filled the room. “I really didn’t mean to say you look like shit,” he awkwardly stated, though it is basically what he meant. All he could do was stare at him, thinking that even when he looked his worst the man was still stunning. He couldn’t tell Sasuke that, it’d only make it more awkward.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s fine Naruto. I’m well aware that I look like shit today. I do own a mirror. Though I really rather not talk about it or my parents,” he told the other man before pulling the guitar onto his lap.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sometimes it’s better if you do,” Naruto said. “I mean, you don’t have to but it can be good,” he told him. The look he got in return made him think it may have been a bad idea. “It could also help the writing process,” he added, though he was feeling like he may be making it worse.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke was silent for a while, contemplating whether or not he should. “As I said, I don’t really talk about it. My whole life changed with one accident, it’s not the best memories for me. I try to think about the good times with them, but shit happens and it’s not the easiest thing to do,” Sasuke didn’t make eye contact. He was looking pretty much anywhere other than at Naruto.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I wish I had memories of my parents. My mom died in childbirth and my dad was across seas in the army. He never even got to see me because of an explosion that took out his entire squadron,” Naruto told him. He had always been an open book and he hoped opening up to Sasuke might make it easier for him to open up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“My parents died in a car accident. It’s been just me and by brother ever since and so it’s been hard on him. It just still hurts, which is why I don’t really want to think about it. Half the time I don’t even go out of the house on this date,” he told him. It was clear that he truly didn’t want to talk about it and that was probably the most he’d say on the topic.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Let me see what you have so far,” Naruto said as he grabbed the notebook from Sasuke’s hands, understanding that he’d pushed it too far. “So moving that to basically the opener, I like it,” he said as he started reading all of the lyrics. “You really miss them, huh?” he asked as he finished reading the lyrics. Sasuke could only nod and Naruto knew that he shouldn’t press the issue further. “What if we make most of the song pretty tame and just kind of hit it with the chorus?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That could work,” Sasuke replied as they started to work out chord arrangements and the remainder of the lyrics. They had been so preoccupied with the song that they hadn’t even noticed when Kiba and Neji arrived. By the point the two men arrived, Naruto and Sasuke were sitting far closer than they were expecting. Naruto had his guitar on his lap, while Sasuke’s was set on the table with his writing notebook in his lap instead.</p>
<p>“I feel like we’re intruding,” Neji told Kiba quietly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kiba tried not to laugh, but failed. The other two men pulled away from each other. “Hey guys,” Kiba had an almost perverted smirk on his face. “Sorry we’re late.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Not like you’re much help half the time anyway,” Naruto teased with a laugh, trying not to act weird about how close he and Sasuke had just been. He hadn’t been aware of the proximity until they were pulled out of their bubble. “We were actually just finishing up a new song,” he added, though he didn’t really look at Sasuke.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well then, let’s hear it,” Neji said as he sat in a chair across from the couch. Kiba silently agreed and sat in the other chair.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We might still need to make a few tweaks, but we’ll play what we have so far,” Sasuke said. He looked over at Naruto. The blonde grabbed his guitar and started to play the chords they’d finally agreed on for the song. If Sasuke were honest, the melody was mostly Naruto’s doing and it was better than he ever thought it would be. While Sasuke may be better with lyrics, Naruto did have a knack for melodies.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When the song was over, Neji and Kiba were clearly impressed. “Well I guess we have a new song to learn,” Kiba said as he picked up the notebook to see the full arrangement they had came up with. “Speaking of which, we really should start working on a set list that we can rehearse so we’re ready for the end of the month.” He started to flip through the notebook to look at the songs they had to pick from. He saw some songs in the front that Sasuke had never shown them but before he could read them, Sasuke grabbed the notebook from him. “So are we ever going to hear some of those first ones?” Kiba asked, knowing if they hadn’t heard them yet then Sasuke either thought they were bad or they were very personal. .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Maybe,” Sasuke said. “Only the ones I think are useable I suppose. We can talk about it when we pick this set list,” he added, annoyed that the man looked at the beginning of the notebook. He had some songs that he kept to himself because they had been written when he was in an emotional state of mind and were not things he wanted to be asked questions about.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I think we could always write a few more this week,” Naruto suggested. “Then we can just use this time to rehearse the ones we want to use,” he said. He liked writing with Sasuke, especially when it was just the two of them. However, being alone with him also made him want to jump the man, he was like a magnet and it was the perfect excuse to be close. “Let’s start by working on this song,” he said as he got up and put the acoustic guitar on its stand and grabbed his electric guitar. “Come on,” he signaled for the other men to get up and grab their instruments.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The rest of the night consisted of practicing all of the songs they all agreed would be a part of the final set list. There were still a few slots left to fill and it had been undecided if they’d pick from songs already written or new songs they’d have to write within the next few days to have enough time to practice and make sure the songs were perfected.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s getting late,” Sasuke said as he looked at the clock on the wall. “I should get going,” he told the men as he put down the microphone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Or,” Naruto started as he put the guitar back on its stand. “We could go get drinks,” he suggested. He knew that Sasuke didn’t really go out on that day but he thought it’d be a good idea to get his mind off everything. “It’d be fun, you know a stress release,” he smiled, though by the look on Sasuke’s face he was pretty sure the answer would be a no.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I could go for a drink,” Kiba said as they finished putting all of the instruments away. “It’s been a long day,” he had to find a way to keep himself busy for an hour before coming. Rather than hanging out with Neji, which would have been the smart thing to do, he agreed to go shopping so with Ino in attempts to get closer to Hinata. Not that he’d ever tell Neji that. He ended up being the purse holder instead, though Hinata apologized every time she asked him to hold hers. Ino had presented the experience as a way to get closer to the dark haired girl; however, he quickly realized she just wanted him there to use him as her personal holder. He was able to talk to Hinata a little bit, so it was sort of a win.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m in,” Neji said. His day had been rather uneventful. He had text Kiba to hang out, but the man gave him a stupid excuse. He was suspicious that it was Hinata related and hoped a drink might get him talking.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke was hesitant to agree. They were all looking at him expectantly, “Fine. I guess.” Going out was the last thing he really wanted to do but the look Naruto was giving him made it hard to say no. <em>‘This man is going to be the death of me’</em> he thought, though tried not to show it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Awesome,” Naruto beamed. He was ready for some fun and hoped he could raise Sasuke’s spirits so it wouldn’t be such a bad day. In his mind he was doing the man a favor. By the end of the night he wasn’t going to be sure how to describe the experience.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next chapter will show their night out...</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Let me know what you think :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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